The Slaight Family Foundation has donated $10-million to the Unison Fund, Canada’s music industry aid organization.

The Slaight Family Foundation, a prominent Canadian private foundation that supports a wide variety of humanitarian and cultural causes, will disperse the funds over the next five years to the existing Unison Industry Assistance Program, and a newly-announced Slaight Family Foundation Legacy Program that is designed to offer financial support to retired individuals in the music community and/or those that experience long-term medical challenges.

The existing Unison program has been in operation since 2015, providing over $8,000,000 in financial aid to over 5,000 Canadian music workers. In the past several years, the charitable fund has been deluged with calls for assistance from industry participants sidelined by the pandemic, so the new guaranteed five-year infusion of money will take a lot of stress off the organization.

Slaight Family Foundation President and CEO Gary Slaight says: “We are thrilled to support the great efforts of The Unison Fund (as the) last few years have been especially tough for the Canadian music industry–and our goal with this donation and the creation of the new Legacy program is to help those who have fallen on tough times get back on their feet. We look forward to working closely with Unison as we join efforts to strengthen, support, and sustain the Canadian music community.”

The Slaight Family Foundation Legacy Program will support an aging population in the music industry, recognizing that many retired individuals in the community are under a continued financial strain, and face unique social and personal challenges. The breakthrough National program, to be implemented in 2023, will provide music industry veterans and legacy artists with access to importance financial assistance.

Alternately, the Unison Industry Assistance Program is designed to provide financial support to Canadian music-makers recovering from an illness, injury or other circumstances that result in an inability to work or are facing severe economic or personal hardship.

“We are eternally grateful for the generous support of The Slaight Family Foundation. Their ongoing investment into the future and legacy of the Canadian music industry has been a critical safety net, helping us to continue to provide financial assistance and services to those in need,” says Unison Executive Director Amanda Powers.

The Unison Fund recently received the Gary Slaight Music Humanitarian Award, which recognizes their tireless contributions to the Canadian music community. The prestigious award was given out at the CCMA Music Industry Gala Dinner & Awards as part of the 2022 Canadian Country Music Association Awards weekend in Calgary.

Pictured left-right:  Unison Fund co-founder Jodie Ferneyhough, Unison programs & services manager Jodie Ferneyhough, Kathryn Hummel Brezynskie, Amanda Power, Sheila Hamilton, and Derrick Ross. ED Amanda Power, former ED Sheila Hamilton, and Slaight Music president Derrick Ross.

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